Railway tie



May 11 1926.

I R. J. WELL$ v RAILWAY TIE a Filed Feb. 9. 1925 1227A? Patented May 11 1926-.

nnrren STATLEIKS airs RALIBI-I J. WELLS, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

RAILWAY TIE.

Application filedFebru-ary 2),1925.

ment by the reaction or displacement-oi the cushion n'iaterial.

In railway track construction employing ties of the present type, there have been encountered conditions of use, wherein thetie construction referred to employing the wooden sleeper block is objectionaliile because of the height out such tie. This is par ticularly the case in laying railway tracks over concrete bridges and also in replacing street railway track constructionslaid on a concrete sub-bed, wherein the ditlerence in elevation between the surface o'f the concrete sub-bed or that of the bridge floor and the level of the completed t ack is insutlicient to accoininodatethe height of the sleeper block.

lrlowever, to meet certain tratlic conditions, a

metal bed pl-ate is to be preferred to the wooden sleeper block.

In the present invention there is contemplated a skeleton tie structure to be embedded in concrete consisting of a pair of parallel spaced angle bars, having adjacent to their opposite ends, recessed seats or shallow receptacles in which is contained a quantity of resilient cushion material. T he preferred material is a plastic or semi-fluid form of asphalt, a comparatively shallow stratum of which is'placed in the bottom oi" the receptacle or recessed seat and on which rests a rail supporting plate. In the pres ent instancethe-plates are provided with dependent flanges whichproject within the recess seat or receptacle and serve to guide the plates in vertical movement against the yielding tension 'o'tthe cushion. These rail supportsor sleeper plates may be flanged on all of their margins, thereby forming an inverted pan like head; which is telescopically disposed withintherecessedseat or receptacle of the skeleton tie. The flanged mar- Serial No. 7,909.

gins ol' the plate approach sufficiently close to the side walls of the receptacle to'prevent the exudation of asphalt or other cushion material under pressure, yet such iit or relative bearingof the dependent 'tlz-inges 01" the top plate'in relation to the sidewalls ot' the recessed seat or receptacle, are not such as to present ditlicullies oft nnrnufacture. economy of manufacture, the rail support ing plate, in the present construction maybe merely. ase'ction oi apm'opriate size oi standard iron channel. W'Vhen such structural iron channel section is used; sealing strips of asbestos or other suitable material may be inse'rted to prevent the exudation of the asphalt or cushion material at theends of such: sections, where the plate is devoid nt a depending flange.

The object of the invention is to simplify the structure as Well as the means and mode 0t operation and. construction oil such rai.l way ties, whereby they will be: notonly chcapened in construction, but will be more eliicient in" use, of increaseddurability and wearing; quality,-ot compact form, accommodating anincreased quantity of cushion material and unlikely to get out ofrepair.

ll ith the above primary and other incidental objects in View a will more fully appear in the specification, 'the invention consistsof the features of construction,-the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation, or their equivalents as hereinafter described and setlorth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown the preferred, but obviously not necessarily the only 'lorni of embodiment of the invention, Fig- 1 is a perspective view of a tie embodying); the present invention from which one of the sleeper plates has been removed. Fig; 2 is a detail perspective view ot one end of the tie structure separated into its component parts,

is a longitudinal sectional view and Fig,

is a transverse sectional View through one end of the tie structure. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of a track installation employing the tie forming the subject matter hereof. 1F ig. 6 is a detail perspective view of a sleeper plate flanged on all its Ina-rgins. "Fig. 7 is a sectional view illustrating the con'iparative saving of excavation and concreteunder street paving by use of present tie.

For

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

lVhile the tie construction herein disclosed may be employed for open track installation, or in the construction of cross country trackage, it will find its greatest field of usefulness in urban construction, wherein the ties are usually embedded in a concrete foundation or road-bed. The pri mary purpose of this tie as well as the previous construction referred to is to afford a requisite degree of resiliency, which will not only improve trackage conditions, but when embedded in concrete sub-structure will absorb shocks and vibrations, and so prevent breakage and disintegration of the concrete sub-bed. The tie in such installation becomes in effect a transverse reinforcement member for the concrete foundation or road-bed, and so long as the concrete road-bed remains intact, it functions as a single enlarged sleeper or support, which sustains traffic pressure throughout the entire width of the track, and throughout as great length thereof as is being utilized. It is thus possible to utilize. the entire bearing surface of the concrete foundation of the road-bed. Such concrete road-bed. however, if subjected to ordinary traffic shocks and constant impact of car wheels is hable to more or less breakage and disintegration. The skeleton structure of the present tie, which in its ultimate form is substantially an integral steel frame, 'not only serves to reinforce and tie together the concrete road-bed, enabling it to resist breakage, but the sleeper plates resiliently supported at opposite ends of the tie structure and forming the rest or support for the track rails afford the necessary resiliency and serve to cushion shock and vibration, thereby protecting the concrete foundation or road-bed against breakage and disintegration. Inasmuch as the shock or blow of car wheels upon an unyielding track structure is as detrimental to the rolling stock as it is to the track itself, the cushioning effect of the sleeper plate at the opposite ends of the present tie is equally advantageous to the railway track equipment. The use of the flanged plate in lieu of the wooden sleep-er block before employed affords a compact construction, affording within the height of a few inches, the necessary resiliency, capable of absorbing shock and vibration.

Referring to the drawings, 11 indicates two metallic angle bars arranged in parallel spaced relation with their horizontal flanges directed one toward the other. Located ad.- jacent to the opposite ends of the spaced angle bars and interconnected thereby are two pan like receptacles or recessed seats. For economy of manufacture, these recep tacles or seats have been shown as two plates 3, having upturned terminal flanges 45, extending transversely from the upstanding flange of one angle bar to that of the other. The parts of the tie structure are shown in Fig- 2 disconnected from each other, wherein the seat plate 3 is clearly shown as a channel shaped member arranged transversely in relation with the angle bars 1-1. lVhen in assembled relation the standing flanges of the angle bars 11 project above the plate 3 on opposite sides thereof and extend from one terminal flange 1 to the other, thereby forming the opposite side. walls of an enclosure or recessed seat, of which the plate flanges 4 form the transverse or terminal walls. This seat plate 3 is united to the angle bars 1. by any suitable means, such as welding, riveting, bolting or other method of joining. It is obvious that in lieu of the channel shaped scat plate 3, a pan like receptacle complete in itself having side walls as well as end walls, may be substituted. Contained in each of the recessed seats or receptacles of the tie structure is a stratum 5 of resilient material. lVhile other mate rials may be employed the preferred cushion 5 consists of a. quantity of asphalt in a plastic or semi-fluid state. This material may be sufficiently dense to afford a rubber-like characteristic. This body of cushion material, whether of asphalt or other resilient material must have suflicient resistance to withstand the pressure of the traffic without, however, being rigid.

One of the dillicultics in early attempts to employ asphalt or like material for cushioning effects in railway ties was the tendency for the asphalt to ooze out of the tie receptacle when subjected to heavy pressure. This tendency was especially prevalent during warm weather. The preferred consistency of the asphalt is one which will not have this tendency to ooze or flow, but which will maintain a semi-solid characteristic having a degree of resiliency slightly greater than that of wood.

superposed upon the stratum 5 of cushion material is a sleeper plate 6, having dependent flanges 7, which extend telescopically within the recessed seat of the tie structure. The dependent flanges 7 may be formed on all sides of the sleeper plate as shown in detail in Fig. 6. However, for economy of manufacture, the sleeper plate 6 may consist of a comparatively short section of structural channel beam of such size as to fit easily and loosely, but comparatively close to the walls of the recessed seat or receptacle. The dependent marginal flanges 7, whether on the opposite margins only of the plate 6, as shown in Fig. 2, or on all margins of the plate as in Fig. 6 have a guiding function within the recessed seat or receptacle and prevent the sleeper plate 6 from becoming tilted or inclined. Moreover, these igssagote flanges extending in proximate relationship with the side \vallsof the receptacle prevent the escape of the cushion material'o', which is confined Within the recess formed by the dependent flanges 7. When a section of structural channel'beam is used as SlIOWDiIl Fig. 2, sealing strips or bars 8 of asbestos or other suitable material metallic angle'bars being fou'nd 'quite eiiicient, are inserted becessed seat or receptacle in lieu of the terminal dependentflanges which are absent from the channel beain section. These sealing strips 8 do not extend entirely to the bottom of the receptacle and lie closely adjacent to the terminal Walls of the receptacle or recessed se'atininiediately beneath the top plate 6. The coinpression'ofthe cushion stratum by the Weight and impact of traffic exerts both outward and upward pressure on such sealing strips, tending to press them more closely against the terminal Walls of the receptacle and against the underside of the top plate 6, thereby effectually sealing any crevice against the escape of the cushion material. By the use of such bars, independent of the sleeper, on all four sides thereof, the

sleeper may be merely a flat plate as appears in Fig. 3.

Clamp bolts 9 extend through the tie structure, including the sleeper plate 6 and carry rail engagii'ig clamp jaws 10, which serve to secure the track rail in place.

Because of its compact form and capability of affording thenecess'ary and requisite resiliency in small compass, the present tie construction possesses advantages for use in other installations than those before men tioned, i. e. upon bridge structures and for track replacement purposes. In new-urban installations Where standard or usual type of street paving is employed, the present form of tie will result in a great saving of labor, particularly for excavation, and a corresponding saving in material especially con crete. The use of the present from of tie Fig. '2', there is shoivn more or less diagranr inatically the present tie structure in comp-arison with the ordinary Wooden tie in-' stallation and with a section of standard street paving to illustrate comparatively the resultant saving in excavation and material. The section A shows the usual street paving employing bricks or paving blocks of a-pproximately four and a half inches, laid upon a sand stratum of one and one half inches, superposed upon the sub-bed of concrete six inches thick. Assuming that the track rails are of the standard six inch rail section, laid upon standard six inch Wooden ties, it is necessary to concrete or ballast beneath such ties as shown at B, to a depth of approximately six inches, thereby necessitating the excavation of an additional 'six inches below the bottom of the paving subbed, and a filling of grouting 01- ballast for this additional inchesof excavation below the Wooden tie and *below the bot-tour level of the street 'paving foundation. By using the present form of tie structure as shown lat C, Fig. 7, the track ra'il being the standnea'th the platen atopp'osite ends of the reard six inch rail section, the present tie structure is embeddedin' the foundation of the streetpaving, occupying approximately one and a half inches at the top surface of such concrete sub-bed. In order to afford a foundation of full six inches of concrete or grouting, below the present form of tie structure, it is necessary to excavateonly an inch and ahalf below that required for the sub-bed for the paving foundation. This makes a difference of four and one' half inchesfin excavation and in grouting or coir crete foundation necessary below the tie as compared with the use of standard Wooden ties shown" at B. As shown at (l at leastfour and ahalf inches of the sub-bed or founda tion for the paving lies beneath the present tie structure and is utilized as foundation for the track as Well as for tlie paving. This saving of approximately four and a half inches per tie of excavation, and such foundation of grouting beneath the tie Will at present rates of installation costs result in a saving of twelve hundred to sixteen hundred dollars per mile of track. Furthermore, inasmuch as the tie structure is enibeddeddirectly in the paving foundation, which is a'continuous unitary body of coin crete, rather than resting upon sub-foundzu tions of concrete extendingbelow the paving bed 7 and comprising independent foundation for each tie, the efficiency and durability of this construction is materially increased.

From the above description it \villbe apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage enumerated as desirable, but ivhich obviously is susceptible of modification in its forin, proportions, detail construction and arrangement ofpaits Without departin from the principle involvedor sacrificing any of its advantages.

lVhile in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise the preferred form of several modes of putting the invention into effeet and the invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications Within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a railway tie, a tie body having a pocket therein, a body of resilient material within the pocket and a section of channel beam inserted within said pocket with its channeled side resting upon the body of yield ing material, and means for securing a track rail to the exposed side of the channel beam section.

2. In a railway tie body, having a recessed seat therein, a body of resilient plastic material confined within the recess of said seat, a metallic sleeper plate resting upon the resilient body and forming a closure for the recess of said seat to confine the resilient material thereto, and guide means for said sleeper plate embedded in said body of plastic material to prevent the tilting of said plate within the recess.

3. In a railway tie, a tie body having a pocket therein, a body of resilient semi-fluid material within the pocket, and a. metallic sleeper plate having downwardly flanged margins inserted within the pocket and embedded in the body of resilient material therein.

4. In a railway tie, a tie body having a pocket therein, a body of resilient semi-fluid material confined within the pocket, and a concave sleeper member telescopically fitted within the pocket and forming a closure therefor to prevent the escape of said resilient material with its concave side resting upon the body of resilient material.

5. In a railway tie, a tie body having a pocket therein, a body of resilient material within the pocket, a metallic sleeper plate resting upon the body of resilient material and conforming to the pocket for which it forms a closure to prevent the escape of resilient material and dependent guide means upon the sleeper plate engaging within the pocket to prevent the displacement of the plate or resilient body.

6. In a railway tie, a. tie body having a pocket therein, abody of resilient material within the pocket, a sleeper member inserted within the pocket and resting upon the body of resilient material, a sealing strip located wholly below the sleeper member and pressed into the angle formed by the under side of the sleepermember and the wall of the pocket by the lateral and up ward pressure of the resilient body under influence of pressure upon said sleeper memher.

7 In a railway tie, a tie body having a pocket therein, a body of resilient material within the pocket, a sleeper member inserted within the pocket and resting upon the resilient body, and sealing strips of less depth than the pocket, simultaneously abutting the under side of the sleeper member and side wall of the pocket to prevent the escape of the resilient material under influence of lateral and upward pressure induced by the descent of the sleeper member.

8. In a railway tie, a tie body, a receptacle therein, a body of cushion material within the receptacle, a sleeper plate resting upon the cushion material and independent sealing members having substantially right angle seating surfaces engaging in the angles formed by the underside of the sleeper plate and the interior sides of the receptacle and pressed to position by the displacement stress of the cushion material to prevent the escape thereof.

9. In a railway tie, a tie body having a pocket therein, a body of resilient material within the pocket and a metallic closure plate for the pocket resting upon the body of resilient material for vibratory movement against the yielding resistance thereof and independent closure bars simultaneously bearing against the under side of the said plate and the interior walls of the pocket, closing such pocket against the escape of the resilient material.

10. In a railway tie, a tie body, a receptacle therein, a body of cushion material within the receptacle, a sleeper plate resting upon the cushion material, and sealing bars independent of the plate embedded in the. top margins of the body of the cushion material and bearing against the under side of the sleeper plate and the interior walls of the receptacle to prevent displacement of the cushion material. 1

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 2nd day of February, A. D.

RALPH J. WELLS. 

